


It's Like Catching Lighting

by nbknowswrite



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, First Love, High School, High School AU, M/M, Songfic, high school fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-10 01:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/780172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nbknowswrite/pseuds/nbknowswrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry never really particularly cared for anyone at his high school until the Tomlinson's moved to town.<br/>*<br/>"Finding someone like you <i>is</i> like catching lighting, it hits you once and it hits you hard. It settles in your chest and then it never leaves. You know how much you mean to me and I don’t care about anything else in this world but knowing you feel the same way."</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Like Catching Lighting

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the lovely Kelly who asked for a little shot based on the song Can I Have This Dance from High School Musical and I turned it into this, I'm sorry. Hope you like it! <3 Comments are so highly appreciated, I can't say that loud enough. (and please, excuse my cheesiness, I was in need of a smile)  
> ***  
> This is a work of fiction, not true, my imagination is too big, blah (but if you think about it, it may have happened to anyone really, the world is too big,there's a lot of people in it, I'll shut up now) I don't own anything, really.

The pumping of the music is bothering his ears and his pants itch a little. Harry looks around from his seat in the side of the room. Everyone is dancing and jumping and screaming. Everyone looks so happy. Girls look like those pretty models from magazines, with their beautiful long dresses and perfect hair. Guys look like perfection personified, with fancy suits and vests and ties matching the girls dresses. Harry used to think prom was stupid. He never got what the whole fuss was all about, dressing up and spending so much money on clothes and transportation and getting headaches? Not worth it. If you ask him now he may still say the same thing, but he wouldn’t be able to hide the shine from his eyes and the soft smile from his lips. 

He is reminded of his junior prom. He sat in a table, much like the one he is sitting in now, for most of the night. He sat there and looked at everyone have fun with their friends and significant others and he wondered what that would feel like. If he’d ever be one of the young vibrant people who stepped in the middle of the dance floor and just let go. He wondered if he’ll ever have anyone to dance close to him when the soft music came on. He didn’t think so. He didn’t think he would because he likes boys and the people in the little town where he lives hate change, they hate everything that’s not what they believe it’s true, so even if Harry did get to meet someone he’d never be able to dance like that, not if he wanted to survive high school with a clean face. He spent hours lying on his bed and imagining just how nice it would be to have someone lying there next to him, someone that would hold his hand and hug him tight and remind him that good things can still happen, even in a place like this. 

He feels a heavy feeling wanting to settle across his chest, but then he looks up again and his eyes meet a pair of bright blue eyes that smile at him from across the room from the drinks table. His heart expands and he takes a deep breath because all the sad memories are being pushed out and happiness runs on his veins. He knows this happiness he feels may have a time limit, but he doesn't care right now. Right now, all he cares about is that pair of light blue eyes that make his heart race and wake up the butterflies that lived in his stomach motionless for so long. He sits there and keeps finding the little eyes looking back at him, smiling at him and his head is filled with a thousand memories; a thousand moments that made him feel so good, just how he feels now, overwhelmingly happy. 

***

He remembers it as if it was yesterday. He is sitting in his biology class staring at the chalkboard. It is the Monday of the second week back to school; he is a senior now. Everyone is wearing smiles on their faces and keep blabbering about how this year will be amazing, because nothing less can be expected from your senior year at high school. Harry isn't so sure about that. He has managed to stay outside the ‘in circle’ for the last three years and that is his plan again. It is hard, to fly under the radar, when this town is so small and everyone has their noses in everyone else’s business but their own. Harry gets all this attention he doesn't want; girls go crazy because of his curls and his bright green eyes and pale skin. He always wears nice clothes, tight skinny jeans and regular lazy t-shirts. His family has money, they are not filthy rich but it’s enough for him to get everything he wants. His collection of boots and converse is obscene. He has the money to take a different girl out every weekend if he wanted but he doesn't, he doesn't see the point on dating people you don’t even like. He is waiting for someone special, someone wonderful and different. He was almost grateful when there was a rumor about him. The story going around was that he had an older girlfriend who attended college and that’s why he never dated anyone. He never told anyone he was gay, never really talked to anyone all that much to have the intention to. 

Since the morning, that day, he has been hearing people talking about the Tomlinson’s. More than a few girls squealed in the hallways and the guys listened closely as the gossip went around. A new family had settled themselves in their little town. Harry wishes he had been paying more attention to the whispers in his English lit class because now he is curious too. The classroom begins filling up quickly as the clock ticks closer to the time where class is supposed to start. Harry has a free period before this so he always gets there before everyone else. Exactly five minutes before class is supposed to begin someone walks into the room with a firm step. Harry looks up to find a very pretty girl walking towards him. She is wearing a flowery dress with nice shoes and a hat of the same color, and smiles at him when she sits down next to him. He has never seen her before. 

“Hi” she says and gives him a huge smile. He says hi back and tries to smile too. Her eyes are light blue and bright. Her skin is tan and it contrasts so perfectly with her long blond hair. 

“I’m Kelly Tomlinson” she says. 

“Harry Styles” 

“That’s a cool last name!” she says and that’s really how it began and, in a way, if it wasn't for Kelly anything would have ever happened. 

*

Harry and Kelly are sitting in the floor of the Tomlinson’s living room working on a biology project. For some reason Harry has failed yet to comprehend, he likes Kelly and she likes him too. She picks him as her lab partner, seats next to him at lunch, calls him her friend several times during the three short weeks they have known each other. Harry learns that Kelly is a twin, she and her brother Louis were born ten minutes apart, making her the official oldest child. They also have four younger sisters. Lottie is in 10th and Fizzy is in 9th at the same high school they are. One day Kelly decided to sneak Harry into their gym class for him to meet them. He also met Daisy and Phoebe, when Kelly had dragged him to pick them up at the middle school a day they got off school earlier. He has met everyone else but Louis. Kelly told him that Louis was the last one to arrive. He had some business to take care of concerning school and had to stay at their old town longer. He had arrived just yesterday.

“Fucking driveways” Harry and Kelly turn their heads towards the entrance of the house where there is a boy coming in. He is shaking his head as he closes the door and stops right on his track when he sees the people in the living room. 

“Louis!” Kelly yells and throws herself into his arms; Harry looks down not wanting to interfere with the moment by awkwardly staring. 

“Why are you so excited? You saw me last night” he says, trying to sound exasperated but the smile in his voice is evident. 

“Three weeks Louis, three” she says, “I can’t last that long without you” Harry smiles, he remembers when his sister Gemma left for camp for two weeks and he had called her up crying and begging her to come home. She is in uni now, and he misses her a lot. 

Harry hears Louis chuckle and his stomach does this very strange thing. He looks hard at the question on his paper and tries to ignore it but then Kelly speaks. “So, Louis this is Harry. He’s in my bio class” Harry turns around and is met by two similar pairs of blue eyes looking at him with kindness. _“Fuck he’s pretty”_ he thinks. Louis is about the same height as Kelly, who is half a head shorter than Harry; he has light brown hair and the same cute nose as Kelly. They do look dangerously alike, but Louis’ factions are more boy-like, even though his eye-lashes are long and full and his cheeks look kind of pink. The line of his jaw is clean-cut yet delicate and Harry takes a moment to regain his composure before getting to his feet and saying hello. 

“Hi, I’m Harry” he extends his hand and immediately regrets it; he certainly does not want to know what it is like to touch Louis, nope. Unfortunately, Louis extends his hand too and shakes Harry’s hand firmly, with a huge grin on his face. 

“Louis, though I guess you knew that already, Kelly can’t stop talking about me” she hits him on the arm and yells “hey!” “It’s ‘cause I’m the prettier twin” he says cheekily and Harry grins so widely he is surprised with himself. 

“Okay, I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick and then we’ll finish this okay?” Kelly says to Harry, who is too dazed by the tingly feeling that Louis’ hand left on his to reply. Kelly looks at them, they are just standing there, looking right at each other, saying nothing. She gives them a knowing smile and leaves. 

“So you are a senior too?” Louis asks as they move towards the living room again. Harry sits down on the floor where he was before and Louis sits opposite from him in front of the table. 

“Yeah, I suppose you are too?” Louis nods and smiles. 

“Think we have any classes together?” Louis asks. He takes his phone out, to look for the picture of his schedule and shows it to Harry. 

“Same free period” he says a little disappointed.

“Well something’s something right?” 

*

It is something indeed. From that moment on they spend so much time together that Harry’s mom asks him if he joined a gang or something. She was surprised that he spent so much time going out and not locked in his room listening to music or writing. The following months is movie nights at the Tomlinson’s, with Harry sitting between Kelly and Louis, pressed against Louis and the other girls scattered around the living room. It is soft touches that are noticed by everyone but Louis and Harry. They orbit around each other, eat lunch together, do homework together, they talk about anything and everything, but never about girls or boys or crushes. Harry suspects Louis is gay but he knows better than to be assuming things. He wants him to be, of course he does, because he wants to hold Louis’ hand all the time even when he knows what it means. But Louis hasn't said anything, and he spends that month happy as a toddler when Louis is around and moping when he is not. He is disappointed in himself really, he always thought he was so much better than everyone else, those people who enter a relationship and become so whipped and dependent they don’t even know what to do when their partner is away. He promised himself to never be that way with anyone the day his father left and his mom was left behind, a complete mess. But now he finds himself wanting to have Louis around all the time, and texting and calling when he’s at home and Louis is at work. Life is funny in that way, they are not even together, have never even kissed, and Harry is already completely screwed. 

“Who, in their right minds, would put cone ice cream into the market in the first place?” Louis looks right into Harry’s eyes. Harry laughs, because Louis has been complaining for more than fifteen minutes about a kid who came to buy ice cream where Louis works. “Cone ice cream, on a large cone, with cone pieces at the top; who the fuck does that, that’s disgusting!!” was his first sentence once he entered Harry’s room. Louis shakes his head and takes his books out of his backpack.

They are sitting on Harry’s bed, with their legs extended forward off the edge of the bed and their backs pressed to the wall. They sit shoulder to shoulder with their books on their laps to do their homework. Harry was surprised to know that Louis is as much as a good student as he is, so his long study periods are no longer by himself, now he has Louis there making jokes and brightening up Harry’s boring room. They have the same subjects but at different times (something that annoys Harry a bit too much if you ask him) so they do the same subject at the same time to help each other out. About twenty minutes pass and they are deeply concentrated on their physics homework when Louis suddenly looks up and stares at Harry until he looks up too. Harry gives him a questioning look and Louis just grins.

“When were you gonna tell me Hazza?” he says as his expression turns from mischievous to hurt.

“Tell you about what?” Harry asks confused. 

“Don’t lie to me, I heard the girls in my physics class, I found out about all of it!” 

“About what?” Harry asks again, he is confused. 

“The college girl you are shagging” Harry’s mouth drops and then he laughs.

“Are you kidding me?” he says in between chuckles.

“Now I’m confused” Louis says and sighs.

“Those are just rumors” Harry says when he gets his air back. “My sister’s friend is the girl they are talking about, they came one winter for Christmas and everyone started saying I was doing her” 

“Why didn't you just deny it?” 

“What for?”

“So” he extends the word “girls will know you are available and you can get some action” Harry wrinkles his nose, it is pretty much a reflex by now. 

“Well what if I don’t want some action" Harry says dropping looking down, "not from them anyways” he whispers seconds later. Silence falls around them and Harry thinks _there it is again_ , that heavy atmosphere between them that they've been ignoring for weeks now. 

“Harry" Louis says, and Harry looks up, "Then from who?” Louis aks looking right into Harry’s eyes. He is having some trouble breathing, and he looks from Louis’ eyes to his lips and back again and he wants wants wants but he is not sure if Louis wants too. He is looking at him like he might, but he is not moving, he is frozen there. 

“What if I say from you?” Harry whispers and Louis’ breath is cut short. 

“So I didn't imagine that kiss you gave me when I fell asleep in your couch?” he is talking about the movie night they had a week ago. Louis fell asleep halfway through the movie; he was really tired after a long day at work. He fell asleep on Harry, his cheek pressing against Harry’s shoulder and his arms hugging his waist. Harry couldn't control himself; he couldn't stop the urge of stealing a sweet little peck from Louis’ lips. 

“No” his cheeks are flaming hot and he thinks he might explode if Louis doesn't kiss him right now. They are so close now, Harry’s not sure how long Louis’ face has been this close to his but he doesn't care, he only wants. 

“But that wasn’t a real kiss though” Louis says and smiles cheekily, “I was practically asleep” Harry smirks and the tips of his ears feel on fire. 

“So?” Harry chokes out. 

“May I give another try?” Harry exhales as he tried to put into his eyes all the things he is feeling right now. The air leaving his lungs leaves him empty; having taken with it the horrible fear he had that maybe Louis didn’t feel the same way. He feels light and he feels happy, he really does. And he feels so much more when Louis finally closes the distance between them and presses his lips to Harry’s for a perfect first kiss. 

*

“I love you” Louis’ voice in Harry’s ear is low and raspy and so sexy Harry thinks he may come in his pants right there, but then he hears the music coming from downstairs and he tries to breathe. 

It’s Christmas day and the Styles and Tomlinson families are all together at Harry’s house celebrating. Harry and Louis managed to escape the madness for a few minutes and locked themselves in Harry’s room for some time alone. They’d do anything for some time alone, because they don’t get it that much, they never really had. They have been together for about three months now and they still hate leaving each other sides. Even when they are outside in the street they walk next to each other, as closely as they can, because they know they can’t hold hands. In school at lunch they sit next to each other with Kelly and her cute boyfriend Niall sitting across from them. They've been dating for a month and a half now and Louis and Harry gave their blessings because Niall is loud and accepting and really nice and fun; Louis thinks he treats her just right. He gets jealous of them sometimes, when he sees them kiss quickly before parting ways in the hallways or holding hands as they walk together. He hates that he and Harry can’t do that. He has heard how the people talk about this kid who came out a few years back and was practically ran out of town. He knows Harry’s mom doesn’t care that much, but she never talks about it, she really just pretends it’s not happening. 

“I love you too” Harry breathes out and grips Louis’ hips firmly. Louis is going down Harry’s jaw line, leaving wet open mouth kisses all over his skin but never sucking or biting, not where other people can see. He kisses Harry’s neck softly and then bites a little on Harry’s collarbones. Harry takes a deep breath and rolls his hips, his groin area brushing Louis’, which is exactly on top of his. 

“God, no” Louis says, “there are children downstairs” Harry laughs. 

“Like you've ever cared” his voice sounds low and thick, he is fighting to get the words out, his throat blocked by so much want. They haven’t done that much really; sex was out of the question, they’ve never talked about it, they know they wouldn’t have the time to do it right. Also it’d be Harry’s first time and Louis wants that to be special, much more special than his drunken hook up with a stupid varsity football player. 

“I always have” Louis says after detaching his mouth from Harry’s collarbone and kissing his lips instead. “I miss you” Louis says softly between kisses. They would be exaggerating if they say they spent five hours together the past week. Louis’ work schedule is rough. 

“Miss you more” Harry says. He licks Louis bottom lip and groans when Louis pulls away. 

“If you get that tongue on my mouth this will get wild” Harry laughs, “I said there are children downstairs” Harry can only smile, because Louis is looking at him with soft eyes and he feels a little bit overwhelmed by how much he loves this boy he had only known for five months. Louis moves back completely, pulling Harry up with him and sits himself in Harry’s lap, his legs bent, knees on each side of Harry’s thighs. He keeps their sensitive areas away from each other, not really needing more motivation there. He holds onto Harry’s neck, tracing little circles with his fingers as he plays with Harry’s hair. Harry closes his eyes and smiles. Louis looks at him like a child looking at a window full of candy, Harry is so beautiful and sometimes all these feelings hit Louis so hard he has to take a second and breathe. 

“What did you do all week?” Louis asks, wanting to catch up on his boyfriend’s life. 

“Wank to the picture of you in my dresser” Louis laughs; he loves it when Harry gets frustrated. Harry opens his eyes and Louis drowns in the green shine. “Just homework and worked on some essays” He says it briefly and softly, trying to get the sentence out of his mouth quickly. Louis knows what he is doing, trying to evade follow up questions. 

“For the applications?” He asks carefully. Harry’s grip on his waist tightens and he nods. He looks down, not wanting to meet Louis eyes, he promised himself to not bring the topic up again, not after what Louis told him a few weeks before. “Harry, you can talk to me about it”

“You can try, you know” Harry sighs, “just apply and see what they say”

“They’ll reject me” 

“You don’t know that Louis!” he says exasperated. “Sending the application won’t take anything from you anyways” 

“I don’t want to waste my time” he says coolly.

“Really?” Harry looks hurt now, “not even if it means getting a chance to get out of here and come with me? We can move in together, we can be finally together everywhere, not just behind closed doors” Louis knows this, he knows what it will mean if they move to the city and leave things behind, but there’s so much holding him back. “You have amazing grades Louis and maybe you are not playing this year but you organized half the school to make a fundraiser, that’s the kind of student NYU is looking for!”

“Harry, I got expelled! I’m sure they don’t want me there” Harry groans loudly. Louis gets off and sits next to him on the bed. “You make one mistake in your life, one _stupid_ mistake, and everything you have ever worked for is worth nothing” Louis feels all the weight of the world above his shoulders right now. He hates himself a little bit too, because he knew he shouldn’t have been hanging out with that crowd, he knew he should have been at home that day. It was a Friday and Louis was off from work, which was a strange thing. His mom was home, so she told Louis to go out and go to the movies or something and enjoy his free time and he agreed. He was captain of the football team at his high school so he was popular, not that he cared that much. His family didn’t have a lot of money, he attended the expensive private school because he was on scholarship, but everyone else did, and Louis didn’t like how they bragged about how much money was put into their accounts every week. 

He went out to a party with some of the varsity kids, he didn’t really liked them, but they were all there was. He danced and had some fun and tried weed for the first time, not that he wanted too, he felt pressured to. He was a little high when he said yes, that he would go with the other guys to eat at MacDonald’s. As they ate someone came with the wonderful idea of breaking into their school and putting ketchup at a teacher’s classroom. Louis didn’t want to go but he didn’t have the strength to fight the other six guys so he did. They broke in and only Louis and some other kid named Andy got caught. Andy’s family pretty much owned the school so he got off, but Louis was tested for drugs and when he came out positive he was expelled. 

“No is not Lou” Harry says softly. He takes Louis in his arms and cuddles him. “It was just that, a mistake, they can’t reject you just for that, you have other wonderful things playing on your side” 

Louis hides his face in Harry’s shoulder. Too scared to say out loud what he is thinking. He doesn’t want to apply because he doesn’t think he can take the disappointment again, he can’t take the sad eyes of his mother and the heavy feeling of rejection and blame inside his chest. Not even if Harry is right there to hold him up; especially if Harry is right there, because he doesn’t want Harry to look at him with pity nor disappointment, he doesn’t think he can handle that. 

*

It’s raining outside. Louis’ mom is at work, Fizzy and Lottie are at a friend’s house, Kelly is at a date with Niall and Harry and Louis are sprawled in the couch, with Daisy and Phoebe lying in front of them on the floor, watching High School Musical 3 for the hundredth time. Louis didn’t want to see it, he fought and fought but no one would listen to him because when the twins want something they get it, and Harry can’t say no to them. Louis didn’t want to see it, because it reminds him too much of what him and Harry are going through and he’s been feeling sentimental enough this week. He’s been acting tough though, knowing Harry is walking over broken glass; he can see the pain hidden in the green of his eyes when Louis kisses him. 

Harry has his eye on Louis. He is pretending to watch the movie but he can’t tear his eyes away from the little drop of Louis’ lips here and there, and the lines around his eyes disappearing more and more each passing second. Right Here Right Now starts playing and Harry tries to take his attention away from the TV completely, thinking about anything else because he doesn't want to cry, he needs to be strong for Louis, he is the rock holding Louis up, he can’t let him fall right now. They make the first verse without any inconvenient but then Gabriella starts singing and Harry can see the lines in between Louis’ eyebrows. Louis holds Harry’s hand and he lets him without second thought. He grips tightly and Harry keeps trying to not watch the TV. Louis turns around and looks at him, he can feel his stare in the side of his face, so he turns and looks at him he stares right into Harry’s eyes, pain and concern clear in his eyes. 

_“Yeah I’m looking at you, and my heart loves the view, ‘cause you mean everything”_ Louis mouths to him. He smiles, but there’s that heavy feeling in his chest and he just really wants to cry. Yeah it’s cheesy and probably so melodramatic, but he doesn’t care, he really loves his fucking boyfriend, more than he ever thought he’d be capable of loving anyone, ever. Louis reaches over and pecks Harry on the lips and then sits back. The song ends and there’s a nice break from the all the sadness. Louis holds onto Harry’s hand and when Gabriella and Troy get to the little garden thing Harry’s heart might jump out of his chest. He knows this song and he doesn't want to listen to it.

 _“Won’t you promise me that you’ll never forget to keep dancing wherever we go next?”_ Louis’ hand grips Harry’s tightly and then he stands up and goes to the kitchen. The twins look up at Harry who is standing up too. 

“Lou and I are going to chat in the kitchen for a little while, okay?” they nod and smile. 

“Will you bring us ice cream?” Daisy says with huge grin. 

“Later, I’ll make you guys some milkshakes after I talk to Lou, how does that sound?” they squeal and laugh and turn their attention to the TV. 

Harry walks to the kitchen and find Louis leaving over the kitchen isle. He had his elbows on the counter and his face is buried in his hands. Harry can’t see it, but he can imagine how it is right now. They need to talk, they haven’t talked at all about what is going to happen next after their letters came in the mail. 

“Lou” Harry says as softly as he can. He feels a little embarrassed of how weak his voice sounds but this is Louis, and they have always been honest with each other, from day one, no embarrassment necessary. 

“I’m sorry” Louis says. He sounds like he's crying. Harry needs to see him, needs to be close to him, so he pulls Louis’ hands away from his face. Louis’ eyes are filled with tears, his brow is furrowed and his lips are trembling along with his chin. “I said I wasn't going to cry but I can’t stop now, I’m sorry” Harry shushes him and pulls him in for a hug. He holds onto him with everything he has, Louis holds his waist tightly in response. 

“I love you so much” Harry says. “I love you so much” 

Louis starts speaking into Harry’s shoulder. Harry rubs his back gently and lets him talk. “I am so tired. I work all the time and I get amazing grades and I can’t play anymore because I have to work to help support a family but I still do stuff at school. And teachers love me and they say they would recommend me in a heartbeat and Harry, so many people do drugs, much worse than what I did and they keep going with their perfect lives and nothing happens to them, and it’s no fair and for one time, one time, now my record is bad and I can’t even go to my dream school because I can’t fucking afford it and they won’t give me enough financial aid” He takes a deep breath and Harry kisses his head gently. “I don’t want to have to be away from you, I don’t want to have to go to another school, I want to go to NYU and I want to go with you. I want to be with you always, I don’t want any of this, this is not fair, this is not fucking fair”

“We are always going to be together Lou” Harry says and it doesn’t feel like a promise, it feels like a fact. Harry has never sat down and thought about how strong his feelings for Louis are, how strong and stable his love is, how he doesn’t question for one second that Louis will be next to him at every important moment he thinks could ever happen to him. He pulls Louis away and looks at him right in the eyes “You know things don’t always happen the way we want them to and it sucks and I am so sorry and you know I’ll do everything to give you anything you want, you know that right” Louis nods, his lips still trembling too much for him to talk, “we don’t have to be apart, even if we are forced to go to different schools. You can pick something in the city and we’ll rent a little shoe box flat, my mom will pay the rent for it and you can work and save up and go to NYU in the spring” Louis’ face looks more relaxed now. “What did you think that I’ll leave you behind?” Louis doesn’t respond and Harry feels a strong wave of something hitting him. 

“My dad did” Louis says, “and my stepdad did, all my friends did” Harry shakes his head, “and I know you wouldn’t but my brain is so used to thinking that way." 

“I will never leave you” Harry says firmly. “You have no idea how much I waited for you to come along, do you think I’d let you go that easily, no. I love you so much sometimes it fucking scares me, because I’m eighteen years old and I still have pimples in my face and I don’t think young people like us get to find their soul mates this early in life” Louis is smiling now. Harry feels relieved to find the same feeling being displayed in Louis’ eyes. “But we got lucky” Harry smiles widely. 

“It’s like catching lightening the chances of finding someone like you” Louis sings and Harry laughs. 

“You are a sap” he says and pecks Louis’ head. 

“But I am your sap” he says, “and I love you so much sometimes I just want to punch you in the face” Harry laughs. 

“As long as it’s with your lips” he says.

“Didn’t I tell you months ago to stop trying to make witty comebacks, you suck at it” Louis is grinning now. 

“But you love me” he sing-songs.

“Yeah I do” Harry says and leans down for a kiss. His lips meet Louis and he feels home, because that’s really what home has meant to him all this time, a beautiful pair of blue eyes looking at him like he is the best thing in this world, a pair of arms holding him tightly like he is precious and worthy of being held forever and lips he is never tired of kissing, never ever. 

“HARRY! WHERE ARE OUR MILKSHAKES?” They just laugh. 

***

Louis’ smile is so wide and happy that little lines are forming around his eyes. Harry smiles back at him and grips on his hand tightly and then lets it go, before anyone can notice it. It feels like they are suspended in time. The principal of the school is in front of the microphone with an excited expression forming in the old factions of his face. The music has stopped and there’s a heavy silence as everyone takes a deep breath. The drum rolls; the principal gets closer to the microphone with a grin in his face and an envelope in his hand. 

“Louis Tomlinson!” he practically screams. Louis does a little jump that Harry finds absolutely cute and hugs him tightly, whispering congratulations in his ear. Louis holds him tight and then walks to the stage. 

The principal puts the crown in his head. Harry is so proud he can’t even control the stupid grin that’s plastered in his face. He looks straight at Louis, not paying attention to the principal when he calls out Eleanor Calder’s name for prom queen, he doesn’t pay attention as she gets crowned, he is only paying attention to Louis, he only has eyes for Louis. The king and queen share a dance to a song Harry can’t recognize but finds appropriate anyways. Louis keeps his distance from Eleanor and smiles at Harry every time they turn and they face each other. He is so proud right now. So proud to know that he is not the only one who sees Louis as someone who is out of this world. He got here a year ago and made everyone fall in love with him, not only Harry. Harry can see the way Eleanor looks at Louis, even if she has a boyfriend, and he doesn’t feel jealous anymore, he did once but he doesn’t anymore. He doesn’t because it is practically impossible not to fall in love with Louis Tomlinson and his perfect laugh and bad jokes, his warm hugs and his soft smile, his beautiful eyes and the way he just gives himself away and cares for others. Harry takes a deep breath; he is going to miss his boyfriend so much, even if they do plan to live together. He knows Louis will be working all day to save for tuition and he will be studying really hard to keep his scholarship. Things will change, Harry knows it, he’s accepted it, but he can’t help the way his heart contracts every time he thinks about it. 

One second he is watching Louis dance and the next Louis is pulling him by the hand and bringing him to the dance floor. He grins and chuckles a bit before holding him by the waist and swinging both of them in a comical way. Harry laughs but he really just feels sad, sad that he can’t hug his boyfriend tightly and slow dance with him. Louis smiles knowingly; he knows how hard it is for Harry. 

“My beautiful queen, stop stepping on my new shoes” Louis says cheekily. Harry laughs, because what else is he going to do. 

The song ends and Louis is pulled away by some of his friends while Harry wanders off to find something to drink. 

“Boo!” he hears and turns around to find Kelly beaming at him. Her blue dress matches her eyes and the little flower she is wearing at the side of her head, holding her curled hair. Harry complimented her more than once when they were taking pictures before getting into their limo, she looks absolutely stunning. Niall is standing next to her, holding her tightly at the waist. 

“Where’s Louis?” Kelly asks. 

“They abducted him to take pictures” Harry says calmly, he is not really bothered by it. 

“I knew he was going to win, everyone loves Louis” Niall says fondly. Harry nods and smiles at him. 

“The dance is almost over, you are coming back to ours right?” 

“Yeah, that's the plan” Harry says to Kelly. The music changes to a popular upbeat song and Niall whoops.

“Come on! I love this song!” he says to Kelly. 

“I don’t want to leave Harry alone” she says pointing at Harry and pouting. 

“You guys go dance, I’ll find Louis and see you at the car later okay?” 

“You sure Harry?” Harry nods and smiles again. 

Niall pulls Kelly to the middle of the dance floor and Harry can’t stop watching. He pushes the little feeling of jealousy out of his chest and smiles, he is not going to let little things ruin his night, he is actually having good time. He sees Louis approaching before he gets stopped by two guys from the football team. Louis never went back to playing but he used to volunteer on his free time to help out if a player was needed, so the boys from the team also love him. Harry sits in the same table as before and smiles to himself because how did his life turn so much in a year? He feels so different now, more open, more willing to take risks and get close to people. 

He waits around fifteen minutes without even seeing Louis and then he sees him. Louis’ face wears an apology but he doesn’t come towards Harry. Harry doesn’t understand, if no one is pulling him away then why isn’t he coming to sit next to him? The dance is almost over, the DJ announces that there’s only one song left. Harry taps his shoe on the floor nervously, where did Louis go? He looks around but Louis is nowhere to be found. 

“Can I have your attention everyone?” the DJ says when the song ends. Everyone turns around towards the stage and there is Louis, looking smaller than ever, holding the microphone tightly in his tiny fingers. He looks at Harry and smiles. “Your king has some words to share” Louis smiles again. 

“So, this is incredibly cheesy, but who gives a fuck? I already graduated” everyone laughs, along with Harry, “this is song that means a whole lot to me, and I don’t care what you think, I know you all have watched high school musical and loved it, don’t deny it. But this is my favorite song and I think it pretty much expresses all I want to say right now” he takes a deep breath and looks at Harry. “Finding someone like you _is_ like catching lighting, it hits you once and it hits you hard. It settles in your chest and then it never leaves. You know how much you mean to me and I don’t care about anything else in this world but knowing you feel the same way” no, that’s not a tear in Harry’s eye. “So, Harry Styles, can I have this dance?” Louis puts the microphone down as the music starts and ignores the shocked faces of the people around him as he walks up to Harry. Kelly and Niall are smiling, of course, and there are a few faces of ‘I knew it all along’, but Louis really doesn’t care. 

“Can I have this dance?” he asks again when he reaches Harry. 

“It’d be my pleasure” Harry says. Louis pulls him by the hand and they walk next to each other to the center of the dance floor. Harry doesn’t care who is watching and who’s not, who is okay with it and who’s not, because those things don’t matter right now. He can only care about the beautiful blue eyes that are looking at him like he is the most beautiful thing in the world. Louis holds his waist tightly and he holds onto Louis’ shoulders. Louis kisses Harry’s cheek and then presses his forehead to it. 

“It’s one in a million the chances of feeling the way we do” Harry sings into Louis’ ear softly and Louis giggles, he _giggles_. “I love you” Harry whispers quietly, as if it was still a secret.

“I love you more” Louis says. He pulls away a little and looks directly into Harry’s eyes; he moves closer and presses a soft quick kiss to his lips because he can. Harry’s face turns red and Louis can’t stop smiling. The song ends but they stand here hugging each other tightly, some people are cheering, not that they really care, but it’s nice. 

The dance is over. The heaviness of the moment settles around them like a warm blanket because not only the dance is over but high school is over and they are free now. People start hugging each other and leaving and Louis just stands there and looks at Harry with a smile on his face. 

“I guess this is the best moment to tell you then” Louis says.

“Tell me what?”

“My mom and I got a meeting with admissions at the college” Harry’s eyes widen and he tries to keep his excitement in line, but it’s hard, because Louis is smiling really really widely. “I got it” Harry jumps and screams and hugs Louis and he realizes he is crying when Louis wipes his cheeks with his hands. 

“I’m ‘probation’” he says, making the air quotes, “but I fought my case really hard, I know they liked me by the end of the meeting” 

“I’m sure they did, it’s not like they have a choice anyways” 

“You say it like I forced them to” 

“You kind of do” Harry grins at Louis and takes his hand. “Close your eyes” he says and Louis obeys. Harry takes out a little key from his back pocket and puts it in Louis’ hand. “You can open them now” Louis’ eyes are fixed on the key. 

“What is this?” he asks, his voice shaking a little. 

“My graduation present, or ours really” he chuckles nervously, “we get my parent's little bungalow all to ourselves for the weekend” Louis looks up, something like hope shining in his eyes. 

“I love you” Harry says, “and I want to show you that in every way” 

“How do you even exist?” Louis grins before reaching up to kiss his beautiful boyfriend.


End file.
